European Royalty discussion
European Royalty Discussions
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The Stuarts
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I'll startCharles II
King Charles II - Antonia Fraser
Royal Harlot (just finished)
Duchess
The loves of Charles II - Jean Plaidy
James I, Charles I
Earthly Joys & Virgin Earth - Phillipa Gregory
Through a glass Darkly, Now, Face to Face, Dark Angels - Karen Koen
Does anyone know of anything dealing with Queen Ann or William & Mary?
Hi CmPete! Welcome to the group! Sorry for a delayed response - I've been really busy and haven't had a chance to get to the computer.The following books by Jean Plaidy deal with William & Mary and/or Queen Anne:
Three Crowns
The Haunted Sisters
The Queen's Favorites
Those three books appear to have been published at one time in a single volume called The Last of the Stuarts
She also wrote William's Wife (about Mary).
I don't know if any of those have recently been published. I own two of them (bought used online), but I haven't read them yet (I'm almost there - I just finished reading Jean Plaidy's books up through Elizabeth I, so I'm about to start on the Stuarts). You might be able to find them at the library. I don't know that much about the Stuarts, so I don't really have any good non-fiction books to recommend at this time.
Descriptions of those Jean Plaidy books can be found at
http://members.tripod.com/jeanplaidy/...
(just click on Stuart saga or the Queens of England series)
For the Restoration period, I really enjoyed Forever Amber by Kathleen Winsor. It was a banned book at one point, but no explicit sex scenes. I believe the author was in England while her husband was working on his Ph.D. and did a lot of research, so she was able to capture the court of the "merrie monarch."I also read Royal Harlot about Barbara Palmer/Charles II. I didn't like it nearly as much as Forever Amber.
One of my favorites is Jude Morgan's The King's Touch, about James, Duke of Monmouth.
I heard Forever Amber is a great book to read I still have not got the chance, it's collecting dust along with all my others I need to read.
I quite liked Royal Harlot. I'll have to check out Forever Amber. Susan Holloway Scott also wrote The Kings Favorite, about Charles II and Nell Gwyn. I liked it a lot, too.
I've enjoyed all of her historical fiction - Scott's writing is light and exciting - she's no SKP, of course, but I thought all 3 of her Stuart novels were fun reads.
Virgin Earth A Novel is the Philippa Gregory I've enjoyed most, I think. Haven't read Earthly Joys, though I think I have it.I think my mother told me once that the only time she got in trouble with her parents over a book was when they caught her reading Forever Amber! I think she was 14.
Forever Amber was so scandalous when it was written in the 1940's that I understand it was banned in Boston. Quite tame by today's standards.I liked The King's Touchalso, although I ended up having to rush through it as it was due back at the library (non-renewable) and that did affect my enjoyment of it.
I loved Forever Amber. It had some of the best descriptions of the plague and the Great Fire of London that I have ever read. The author; Kathleen Winsor, was quite a beauty and lived a life nearly as interesting as her book. http://dir.salon.com/story/books/feat...
She was at one time married to Artie Shaw. Artie was a famous musician and bandleader in the 40s, who dated and married a myriad of beautiful actresses of that time.
This book made me eager to find more information about Charles II (The Merry Monarch)
Yikes, I'm currently reading a book about Henrietta Maria (Henriette Marie??) - wife to Charles I. So far, she is REALLY irritating! Does anyone know anything about her? The book I'm reading is by Plaidy, so I trust it to be pretty accurate, but I totally hate this woman so far! She behaves like a complete brat.
I've never even heard of her! *hangs head in shame*Why don't you like her? The brat bit has intrigued me :o)
I know absolutely nothing about the Stuarts, so I know nothing about this woman besides what I'm reading in this book (Myself, My Enemy). The book is in the first person, and the set up is Henrietta Maria reflecting on her life, and she admits that she made mistakes in her youth, so I'm hoping as the book progresses that she gets better.She's annoying me with her non-stop complaining (the English are barbarians compared to the French, the king doesn't smile enough) and her inability (at this point in the book) to recognize the validity of other viewpoints besides her own. She's right, and everyone else is wrong. She shouldn't try to make the king happy; the king should try to make her happy. Everyone else should be Catholic, and when there is a Protestant service at the place she's staying at, her and her French ladies (who she refuses to give up for English ladies in waiting as is customary) make a huge ruckus with their dogs as to distract from the service of the "heretics". OMG, I just want to slap her! She admits to being frivilous (sp?) and not very intellectual. She rages when she doesn't get her way (until she does get her way, at least at this point). I don't know, she's just driving me insane! I don't like stupid people, and she's coming across as very stupid, superficial (once again, can't spell today, or else everything is looking weird to me) and shallow.
Wow, a brat indeed. You had me at the part where she doesn't like the English! Pah!!! Move along, Henrietta! ;o)
Ha ha, I thought you'd find that amusing. The 1/4 of me that's English was insulted as well! I think the king's about to crack down on her though (fingers crossed!). Go Charles!
I find it hard to believe Henrietta was that anti Protestant, since her own father (Henri IV) was Protestant.From what Ive read, she and her Protestant husband had a genuine and passionate relationship. I've never heard of Charles I having had a mistress.
Well, he (Henri IV) did very famously convert to Catholicism.Her mother might have had an influence as well.
Well, Henrietta's father was murdered when she was a baby, so he had no influence on her upbringing whatsoever. France was Catholic, and her mom was a Medici and really Catholic as well. It seems that Protestant England really didn't take to her because they were afraid of any Catholic influence after Mary Tudor. Her relationship with Charles is portrayed as very genuine and passionate with no mistresses.
Henri IV strikes me as one like Elizabeth - not really that religious personally, but will go with what works to keep themself in power.
Ironically Henri IV is considered France's most beloved King.He helped end the feuding between the Catholics and Protestants that had ravaged France during the 16th century.
i finished "the other queen" by gregory a few days ago!loved it!!it's about the days of mary's captivity under george talbot,earl of shrewberry and her awesome irritating business-woman kinda wife!!
Sara wrote: "Henri IV strikes me as one like Elizabeth - not really that religious personally, but will go with what works to keep themself in power."Hmm, I don't think that really does justice to Elizabeth, Sara, I think she was certainly pragamatic about religion , but was genuinely serious about not taking England into the stuff of religious wars ( and had no doubt the example of her poor, bitter half-sister Bloody Mary in mind)
She didn't really need to 'keep herself' in power , being an anointed sovereign, no matter how they deplored her being female or wished her mother had been other than Anne Boleyn.
I think the truth was that she steered a clever, rational and immensely difficult path and her goal was at all times to keep England strong and safe.
Susan Holloway Scott has a new novel coming out - another of Charles II mistresses. http://www.amazon.com/French-Mistress...
The French Mistress A Novel of the Duchess of Porthsmouth and King Charles II
I've loved her books thus far. Well written and seems to be pretty well researched, too.
Henrietta sounds awful. Charles I always sounded sort of boring to me...though he shouldn't, after all, he has quite the interesting legacy! I'll have to check out Myself, My Enemy.
Mandy wrote: "Susan Holloway Scott has a new novel coming out - another of Charles II mistresses. http://www.amazon.com/French-Mistress......"
I would get Myself, My Enemy from the library (if you bother at all). It was pretty dreadful being stuck inside Henrietta's head for the duration of the novel. She was irritating, and Charles was boring. The best parts of the book dealt with Charles II, so I am looking forward to Plaidy's trilogy about him (currently out in one volume). I would imagine the first book goes into his childhood a bit (Plaidy usually does, although I do not know for sure with this book since I haven't gotten to it yet) which would probably cover enough of Henrietta and Charles.
Charles must have had an adventuring spirit at one time.After all he went to Spain in disguise to try to win the hand of a Spanish princess.
Manuel wrote: "Charles must have had an adventuring spirit at one time.After all he went to Spain in disguise to try to win the hand of a Spanish princess."
Yeah, that's true, that was mentioned in the book, but only briefly since all I had was Henrietta's POV. A third person POV novel about them might be interesting. Charles didn't really stand out in the novel I read, and even though Plaidy kept saying how in love they were, I just didn't feel it. Any book recommendations?
Ive also heard Charles and Henrietta became a very loving couple as their marriage progressed.
Looks like there's a new one coming out on Mary, I don't know if it's going to be one of Erickson's "historical entertainments", but I'm guess it is.
Well, the back cover blurb is nicely melodramatic!
Pat wrote: "I loved Forever Amber. It had some of the best descriptions of the plague and the Great Fire of London that I have ever read. The author; Kathleen Winsor, was quite a beauty and lived a life near..."Pat, I read the Salon article about Kathleen Winsor and along with your comment about the intriquing life of Winsor, I must ask you if you know of any book about the author's life? I would like to know more. I added Forever Amber to my must read fiction shelf! OK, escapism for sure, but the historical setting pushed me to add it.
Susanna wrote: "Well, the back cover blurb is nicely melodramatic!"Well if she does with this one what I heard she did with Josephine B it might be quite a pot-boiler.
Lol, I was just reading the reviews at Amazon for the Josephine book. There's some keepers there, http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Life-Jos...
I loved Forever Amber as well. Interesting to note that when the book was first published in the 40's it was quite scandalous and I believe it was even Banned in Boston. Quite tame by today's comparison.I'd like to know more about her life as well. I saw a photo of hers on the back of Wanderers Eastward Wanderers West (pretty decent read BTW) that was quite the "glam shot" and I went looking for others on google. It looks like she lead quite the life. Anyone know?
Chrissie and Misfit...All the information I found about Kathleen Winsor came from me googling her name. I would love to read a book about her life, but so far it has only been bits and pieces from articles. I know that after her success with "Forever Amber", she was quite disappointed that she wasn't taken seriously as an accomplished author later on. I found one of her books entitled "Star Money" at a thrift shop but haven't read it yet.
What a life indeed, I keep picturing in my mind a movie about her, but I would settle for a book. I'll keep searching and let you know if I find anything.
Edit: It seems like the book I have, "Star Money" is in fact, a type of autobiographical novel describing the perils of sudden fame by becoming a bestselling author. I'm glad I went back to look for more info about Ms. Winsor and will start this book ASAP.
My favorite is Queens Play (Book #2 of the Lymond Chronicles) by Lady Dorothy Dunnett in which King Henry, Catherine de Medici, and other famous members of the Royal Court appear in the story. The books are fiction but have factual historical events and people interlaced into the fictional portion of the story and characters. This one features Mary, Queen of Scots, as a very young girl in the French Court.
Pat wrote: "Chrissie and Misfit...All the information I found about Kathleen Winsor came from me googling her name. I would love to read a book about her life, but so far it has only been bits and pieces from..."Thanks Pat. I had seen a listing for that book but I hadn't bothered as it's not really my genre/era. I might have to reconsider, will look forward to what you think of it. Here's a bit on her on Wik, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathleen...
I've only read about (arguably) the most infamous of all Stuarts... Mary. One of my greatest interests in European history is, of course, of Tudor England. So, in reading about Elizabeth I, I learned some about Mary Stuart, and my interest became piqued. I purchased a book by John Guy... Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart. I would definitely recommend this to any history buff.
European Royalty
Books mentioned in this topic
The Memoirs of Mary Queen of Scots (other topics)The French Mistress (other topics)
The King's Touch (other topics)
Virgin Earth (other topics)
William and Mary, Queen Anne, Bonnie Prince Charlie etc.